When empathy meets innovation

The traditional models of innovation - technology-centric that is based on research and development and market-centric, which focuses on diversification to cater to different market segments - have given way to newer models.   

Design innovation is distinct for its creative use of existing technologies and empathetic take to various stakeholders from producers to users. Very often, graduating design students surprise me with not only their project work but also with sensitivity, empathy and passion for the change they want to bring. I was in the jury panel for two final year master’s students and it was heartening to see the level of involvement and the difference they could make through their distinct approaches. Converting textile saris to contemporary wear keeping in mind its uniqueness, fabric strength and the weave is a model which needs to be multiplied to many clusters.

We have a corporate India which is thirsting for innovation as a way of moving forward and facing global competition. But we also have an India which lives in the villages - the unorganised sector, which forms a large component of the economy and affects many lives. This sector is also needy for innovation as a way of survival and for self-esteem. We feel sad when we read stories about how the British destroyed the rich handloom tradition of India and stopped the talented weavers from working on their loom so that they could introduce their low-cost power loom textiles into the Indian market. In a way, this also led to the khadi movement which became a part of India’s struggle for independence.

But today we still find the handloom sector, like a lot of other handmade sectors in the country, in a bad state. In one of the trade fairs I visited a few months back, I was talking to Ramesh, a young weaver from the South – he had brought colourful saris to be sold in Delhi but was going back with a huge pile of unsold stock. He could not understand why this was happening. Over the years, the market has been reducing. With the cost of production increasing and consumer preferences changing to match contemporary lifestyles, the pile of unsold saris will continue to grow until we equip the weavers to innovate with changing times.

Working with the unorganised sector is not just a matter of social work or subsidy. It is not a short-term problem solving by feeding the person but a long-term strategy to provide a sustainable livelihood in accordance with the unique capabilities of the person. As the saying goes, “You give a poor man a fish and you feed him for a day. You teach him to fish and you give him an occupation that will feed him for a lifetime.” It needs a whole different design-led innovation strategy.

Will Ramesh become a nameless construction worker or a vegetable vendor and let his talent fade away or would he become a master craftsman respected globally for working his magic on the loom? It will depend on how much importance we give to innovating in the unorganised sector.

The writer is a senior faculty at the National Institute of Design. She tried to talk to a sparrow, but it was too busy creating.